ACTION ALERT: Manzanar Now Facing Even Larger Threat From Renewable Energy Development

Inyo County is considering opening the marked area on this map, much of which is visible fron the Manzanar National Historic Site, to large-scale renewable energy development, separate from the Los Angeles Department
of Water and Power’s proposed Southern Owens Valley Solar Ranch.
(click above to view larger map)

But that could be just the tip of the iceberg for Manzanar, as Inyo County is now considering opening up additional lands in the Owens Valley, including a large swath of land that would also intrude upon Manzanar’s viewshed, to the same kind of large-scale renewable energy development that LADWP is proposing.

In fact, another proposed 1,200-acre solar energy generating station would be built just north of LADWP’s facility, also within Manzanar’s viewshed, and that would occupy just a small fraction of the land that Inyo County would open up to such development in the vicinity of Manzanar.

Even worse, if Inyo County moves to allow large-scale renewable energy development in the Owens Valley, with so much land available, there could be several more solar or wind power facilities built near Manzanar, totally destroying its viewshed.

In other words, Manzanar is now under “attack” on two fronts: by LADWP and their Southern Owens Valley Solar Ranch, and by the County of Inyo, whose 2013 Renewable Energy General Plan Amendment (REGPA) would allow the additional development described above.

As you are probably aware, like the nine other American concentration camps where a total of over 110,000 Japanese Americans were unjustly incarcerated during World War II, Manzanar was chosen for one of these camps because of its isolation and desolation. The fact that there was nothing around these camps for miles and miles was a determining factor in the choice of location.

That being the case, how can the Manzanar National Historic Site teach current and future generations about the isolation and desolation aspect of this history if there is large-scale development in the vicinity? No longer would visitors be able to see what the 11,070 people who were unjustly incarcerated there saw. No longer would they be able to get an idea of how that desolation impacted them—the ability to teach the desolation aspect of this history would be severely impaired, if not virtually destroyed.

Click on the image above to download a printable version of this Action Alert (Adobe Reader software required).

On March 18, 2014, the Inyo County Board of Supervisors will consider the 2013 REGPA for final approval/adoption. There is widespread, vocal opposition in the Owens Valley to this proposal for many reasons beyond concerns about Manzanar—organizations like the Big Pine Paiute Tribe, the Lone Pine Paiute-Shoshone Tribe, the Owens Valley Committee, and others, are supporting our call for rejection of this proposal. However, several members of the Board of Supervisors appear to support the measure, believing that such development would be an economic windfall to the County, even though it has been proven many times over that large-scale renewable energy facilities only create a handful of jobs each. For example, LADWP’s proposed facility would only create up to ten permanent jobs.

How You Can Help

Please write letters and e-mails to the members of the Inyo County Board of Supervisors (contact information below) prior to their meeting on March 18. Be sure to note that the 2013 REGPA would allow even greater harm to Manzanar’s integrity and ability to educate on top of what LADWP is proposing—large-scale, industrial renewable energy development would cause irreparable damage to Manzanar’s viewshed.

Moreover, littering the floor of the Owens Valley with huge solar energy facilities and wind farms would destroy the pristine open spaces of the Owens Valley. Tourists flock to the Owens Valley and the Eastern Sierra because of this beauty. Why give them a reason not to visit? Building large-scale renewable energy facilities on the valley floor would be economic suicide for Inyo County, whose economy is based on tourism.

Official blog of the Los Angeles-based Manzanar Committee, sponsor of the annual Manzanar Pilgrimage since 1969, and the more recent Manzanar At Dusk program.

Stop LADWP’s Planned Solar Facility Near Manzanar!

Help stop Los Angeles Department of Water and Power's planned 1,200-acre (1.8 square mile) solar energy facility adjacent to Manzanar from destroying the view shown above! CLICK ON THE IMAGE ABOVE TO SIGN THE PETITION ON Change.org!

Please note that the logo of the Manzanar Committee in the header on this page, and the image of the Manzanar cemetery monument, located in the upper right corner of this page, below the menu bar, are protected under separate copyright (see bottom of page).

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